Reply to DC charters - which ones are open? hybrid model? plans of reopening?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Question  to the PP who was asking about parents pressuring school admins. Do folks have examples of how to do that successfully? We are at a school that, at least until now, had long waitlists for every grade, we have a PTO, but of course neither they or other families have a direct line of authority to school admins. Have reached out to the school board itself with middling results — empathy but not action. Would love specific advice. Thanks! [/quote]

Not PP but here is advice:

1. Gather a group together of like minded school parents. Draft letter to your admin and send, demanding plans and answers. Ask for a phone call.
2. Plan with this group to all attend your school board meeting. These are open now. Find out when and how and how to ask questions.
3. Consider joining wider DC efforts to reopen. Try checking Twitter for more info.
4. You do have a direct line to admin. It’s your principal or director’s email address. Use it, ask for a meeting, a call. Emphasize specific challenges to your children (not to you) and how many schools are reopening. Get details on the challenges to your school and share with other parents.

Make some noise! Call any reporters, email them etc, Perry Stein etc, and offer to go on record about how your charter is really behind. This will get attention but you won’t win any popularity contests at school. But since your kids are 5 maybe you don’t care. Enter the lottery for other schools just in case none of this works.[/quote]

I am still interested in hearing from the other PP who was encouraging this.  It feels like hollow advice/chastising when we're told to just pressure the school when in reality, I know they are hearing a lot from familes who want to come back.  I know not all do, but a lot, and teachers are getting vaccinated so....what's the plan?  Tell us.  Or, survey us again to see what the numbers are looking like for those who can and want to return. We have opportunities to email, call, and participate in public forums with the leadership, but they don't seem pressed to change whatever their plan is. [/quote]

That’s because you don’t have enough organization at the parent level.  Don’t you have a PTO organization? Don’t you have a parent email list serve?  Or room parents who have the list of email of all the families in the class so that all families can easily be contacted on issues and have discussion? If not PTO, don’t all your room parents not get together to and chat as a group to discuss family concerns, issues, and then notify in writing or plan a meeting with the school principal or leadership?

Draft a signed parent petition.  Demand a meeting with all interested parents as a group or school wide.  Ask hard questions and push for answers to these questions.  Present data and science.  Demand why your school has done nothing so far and only planning to open for 20 students or whatever and what is the rev up after that?

I’m just astonished how many on here feel that their principal and schools leadership don’t hear and address major parent concerns in general and especially something so important as school opening.

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Forgot to add use your leverage that DCPS and other charters are doing it and why your school is not.  Advocate that you will consider playing the lottery, leave, or consider private if schools are not opening fully in the fall, etc...[/quote]

If your school has long waitlists for each grade, they don’t care how much you threaten or emails you write.  You are replaceable. I don’t think some people realize that [/quote]

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